Kashmiri Man Gets 5-Year RI in Odisha for Impersonation and Forgery

The JFMC court in Chandikhole, Jajpur district, Odisha, has handed down a five-year rigorous imprisonment sentence to Sayed Ishaan Bukhari, a Kashmiri man, following his arrest in December 2023. He was convicted on charges of impersonation, cheating, and forgery. The court also levied a fine against Bukhari, 37, a resident of Handwara, Kupwara. The prosecution presented a case built upon the testimony of 18 witnesses and 130 pieces of evidence. The charges against Bukhari included violations of the IPC and IT Act. The Special Task Force (STF) of the Odisha Crime Branch arrested Bukhari in Jajpur for falsely representing himself as a PMO official, a neuro-specialist, and an acquaintance of high-ranking NIA officials. Authorities seized forged documents, including medical degree certificates, along with multiple ID cards, ATM cards, and blank cheques. The STF’s investigation indicated that Bukhari had connections with questionable individuals in Kerala and Pakistan, and he was also a wanted suspect in a cheating and forgery case in Kashmir.